Freezer Cooking

Here is the link for this Ham and Potato soup!

I have not done much freezer cooking, but when I have, it is so productive. There was one day in particular that I planned about a dozen things to make and freeze, and it was so nice over the next couple of weeks to have things already prepared in the freezer that I could just pull out, thaw, and cook. Here is a list of the things (that I can remember!) from that day, and some other suggestions of things to make and freeze:

Italian Pasta Bake
Gluten Free cupcakes
Meat mixture for Meat-Stuffed Potatoes
Spaghetti Sauce
Easy Breakfast Casserole
Chili
Apple Bread (Or any kind of bread or batter, really!)
Yogurt Pops - There are more fancy ways to do it, but we just froze vanilla yogurt, or a mix of strawberry and vanilla yogurt for an easy, healthy snack in the summer for the kids (and the parents, too!)
Soups
Stews
Meatloaf
Casseroles
Sloppy Joes
Apple Butter
Cookie Batter
Muffin Batter
Applesauce
Mexican Pizza

Here is the link for this breakfast casserole, which is different from the one mentioned above.

Another idea, is the idea of cook once, eat twice. Which basically means you cook a double portion of a meal, and freeze the other half, since you are already going to the trouble of making it, and prepping everything, you may as well make more and have another meal already made. And to avoid getting sick of stuff, just stick it in the freezer and eat it a few weeks later. No one will remember :)

On Tuesdays when I teach for Classical Conversations, and then we have swim lessons that night, and I am super exhausted and always have to grab a nap...those are days when I never have the energy to cook. So I always try to have something planned for those days, whether it be in the crockpot, or something that is already in the fridge, ready to be cooked. Because if I don't have something planned, then there is the tendency to go out for dinner, or I end up waiting until the last minute to figure out what to make, and then it is too stressful.

Here are some links to websites that have blog posts about freezer cooking, or whole sections of their blog dedicated to freezer cooking!

Heavenly Homemakers: I love this website right now! She provides tons of recipes and lots of her blog has posts about how to make things and freeze them, how to work ahead in the kitchen, how to plan ahead for breakfasts, meal planning, and healthy recipes. She also has a blog post about freezing muffin batter so that breakfasts can be easy and premade, but the cooked muffins don't dry out in the freezer. She also has cookbooks available for purchase! I frequent her blog often!
Pioneer Woman: Of course, my beloved Pioneer Woman. She had a whole episode on her show about freezer cooking, and how she uses all the stuff she packs into her freezers. Check out the link for her blog post!
Food Network: Check out this link for some options from the Food Network on different kinds of food to cook ahead, and freeze, including Christmas cookies!!
Allrecipes: They don't have much on this website, but a few recipes and videos for some freezer options.
Organized Home: Has a whole section dedicated to Freezer Cooking and how to cook once, and eat for a month!
Money Saving Mom: Has a lot on how to do freezer cooking as well as crockpot freezer recipes!! Now that I will have to check out!!
Once a Month Meals: Their whole website is dedicated to freezer cooking, they have gluten-free options, and you can pick which ingredients you want to use!! Including no-cooking prep days!!

Well, I hope these links and recipes give you some ideas and get you thinking of how you can make things easier and more practical in the kitchen! I love to cook, but I know not everyone does, and even though I do, I don't always feel like it. Or life is just busy for that season, and I don't have the time or energy to get in there every night to prepare a meal from scratch. So this method of freezer cooking lets me decide when I have free time, and then use it to make my life easier during the hectic times. And as always, leave other (kind!) suggestions or other links in the comments section! Happy cooking!!

Some Simple Homemaking Tips (for Homeschooling Moms)

I have found that the stay-at-home mom with young children who also homeschools is a pretty rare find. Especially in my situation where I also teach Classical Conversations once a week. Our lives are pretty busy. I thought I had a lot to keep up with when I was a stay-at-home mom, but when we added homeschooling, I felt overwhelmed because I replaced my morning chore time with schooling. And then when I added weekly teaching to the mix, it became even crazier because then my evenings were often busy with prepping for that. And now that Judah is doing preschool...well, you get the idea. It is busy. And keeping up with housework isn't as easy as it used to be. People might think that since I am home all the time, I must have so much time to keep up with things around the house. But when your day is full with homeschooling 2 kids and the kids are home all day to keep making messes, it is hard to keep up.
Believe me, it is a huge blessing that I get to stay home with my kids. That I get to be the one to teach them to read, about historical events, do bible time with them and get into important, deep conversations about God that matter and often end up with me sharing what God is doing in my own life. And I love staying home. And I love all things domestic. Well, maybe not all things, but a lot of things!! And over the years, I have learned a few tips, though I would in no way consider myself an expert in the domestic department. Other blogs and moms and people with far more experience than myself have better systems and ideas, but I'm just sharing some things I have learned in my own journey, and things that I have found that work for me. Some things I have shared before, and some things you may have heard before, so just take what you can from my experiences!!
1. Make a weekly chore chart. If I can focus on 1 main chore for the day, with schooling and everything else I need to do, that is enough for me. Of course I have other responsibilities during the day, but I usually have just one main thing I need to get done for the day.
Mondays - Laundry/Prep CC for Tuesday
Tuesday - off/Teach CC
Wednesday- Laundry, Office Day (Finances, Account)
Thursday - Bathrooms, mirrors, mopping (if this gets done, it's a miracle!)
Friday - Laundry
Saturday- Clean out Car, Outside chores, Kitchen Day/Cooking Day, Lessons Plans for kids for following week
Sunday - Relax with Hubby/Family, Prep CC
2. Get up earlier than your kids. I have written about this a lot. And I am not always good at this. But I have found that when I get up early, I can get a lot accomplished before my kids wake up, and I know what is on the agenda for the day. If I can spend quiet time seeking the Lord, make my to-do list, look at/balance my checking account, check if I need to pay any bills, check the calendar and know what I am making for dinner that night, then I feel like I have started my day off right. I don't feel so overwhelmed when the kids wake up because I already know what my day looks like. I have found that when I get up when my kids get up, I am grumpy because they are demanding different breakfasts and I am flustered because I want to read and relax with my coffee and my quiet time, and I do not get much of that once they are awake.

3. Exercise in the morning: for homeschooling/exercising moms: I have found this new discovery lately. I would always do school in the morning and exercise during the kids nap time. But lately, Ruth started waking up about an hour into her naptime, and I was afraid that my workout was waking her up. So I started having Maddy "watch" the little ones and play while I worked out in the morning and then I would start school with Maddy after that, and finish up during nap time if necessary. Then, my nap time was free to do other things quietly, which wouldn't wake up Ruth (though she has just been taking short naps anyways) and it has become a true rest time for me. And my workout got done in the morning when I had more energy!! This has been a huge, amazing change for me!
4. Work quickly!! I read this on another blog once, and though it seems trivial, it makes a lot of difference if you apply it!! When you get a little block of time, or a lot, just do those mundane tasks quickly! Fold laundry quickly! Scrub dishes quickly! Wash mirrors quickly!! And save yourself some time!
5. Enjoy your daily mundane tasks. Let them be your "break." When you are alone scrubbing dishes at night, take a deep breath, and enjoy the time. Listen to music. Pray. Think of others you could bless. It doesn't have to be a "waste of time" and something that we must do over and over and keeps needing done. It can feel like that. But if we offer up even the smallest of tasks to the Lord, or enjoy them, then we can have joy in them and even worship at the same time!
6. Pick up every night. Now, the house doesn't have to be spotless every night, but I have found that I like to wake up to a clean house. If you wake up to piles of junk all over the floor and can barely walk around, it doesn't exactly start your day off right. So take those extra few minutes every night and pick up the toys, the dirty laundry, the clean laundry, and trash, and just get the main areas clear. It doesn't have to have that "people are coming over" look, but just a general picking up can make a huge difference.

7. Have different "clean up" times with the kids. For me, I like to have a clean up time before naps (cleaning up from the morning play), before Daddy gets home from work (so he isn't trudging through piles and is blessed when he gets home), and before bed. This is good for Mommy's sanity, is a good time to teach little ones about cleaning up after themselves (Mommy shouldn't have to clean up after their messes all the time, especially if they are old enough to clean up after themselves), and is good to do throughout the day so that it doesn't all pile up for a huge mess at the end of the day. Make it fun! Sing songs, make it a race with a reward at the end, or make a chore chart for the kids with a prize at the end of the week. Make it fun for them so they don't grow up resenting clean up time because it always involved Mom yelling and them getting punished. I have found they do much better and have much better attitudes when we make it fun in a fun atmosphere!!
8. Give your kids age-appropriate jobs to help around the house. This is a big perk with homeschooling. They learn what it looks like to take care of a home, how much work it really is, and how to help. They are home all the time, so they can help with many different aspects of what needs done around the house, and maybe appreciate how much Mom does!! Maddy is 7 and she unloads the dishwasher (and Judah has started to help by handing her things and she puts them away), makes her bed, picks up her room and other rooms (kid messes), feeds the dogs, folds washcloths, helps take care of Ruth, and then helps with other stuff when I ask her. Judah is almost 4 and he has started making his bed, can put silverware away, helps put his own stuff away, and is learning to help with baking. Have them help you, and teach them the value of hard work, and taking care of their own things and messes.
9. Do what you can ahead of time. Do freezer cooking when you can, try to make double batches of dinners often, make food ahead of time when entertaining, use your crockpot, do some cleaning at night when the kids aren't awake, get school prep done all before that week starts (make the lesson plan, make copies, write out handwriting, get everything in order), and think ahead 1-2 weeks at a time when you are making grocery/store lists so you don't have to go back to the store because you forgot about birthday parties, potluck, entertaining, or a cookie exchange.

10. Have relaxing time for you. I think this is so important for the homeschooling mom. We are home a lot. We are with our kids a lot. And we need breaks!! Take those opportunities to go to bible study, out to coffee with a friend, to a workout class, to take a bath, read a book at night, go to a coffee shop alone, go shopping at night alone (I have been going shopping after the kids go to bed so I can whip through those stores without kids interruptions), and plan date nights with your hubby!! Make it a priority for yourself to get up early and quietly seek the Lord. All these things are so important so we can keep our sanity and be the best mothers we can be for our children! We are not defined by our role as a mother. We are God's children. We are individuals. And this time of craziness with young children will not last forever. In our weakness, we need to rely on the strength that comes from the Lord, and remember we are not in this alone. We are not superwoman!! We cannot do it all, sign up for every group and lesson, go to every event, and still remain sane. Learn when to say no, and when your family needs a break!!
And just remember that during this season, your house will never be perfect. That is one reality that I probably still need to accept. And that is ok. If we are teaching our kids to clean up after themselves, and the responsibility that what they get out, they will put away, and we are involving them in the clean-up process, then one day, we won't have so much cleaning to do. We will have little helpers who have learned to clean up what they have gotten out (hopefully)! I hope some of these tips have been helpful, and please if you have any more, leave them in the comments section below!!

Fajita Seasoning

Have you ever been trying to come up with what to make for dinner and you have some meat, and decide to make tacos? But you don't have any taco or fajita seasoning? Well, I have had that problem, and I also think that regular taco seasoning has some wheat in it, which Maddy can't have. So I found this amazing mix of spices for a fajita seasoning mix, and I have made it a couple of times, and it is excellent! I have used it for chicken and beef, and I think the beef I have used is called "carne asada" or something like that. It is at Aldi's and is already cut into slices, and the fajita seasoning is amazing on it! This mix also has corn starch in it, so it adds a thickness to the meat, and comes out absolutely delicious!! It makes about 4 servings (equivalent to 4 store-bought packages), so you can use some, and store it away for the next time you need it!

Fajita Seasoning
via Pinterest via Jonesin' For Taste

4 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. paprika
4 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon, or 3 crushed chicken bouillon cubes
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cumin

Just put all of the ingredients into an airtight container and shake until mixed. About 2 1/2-3 tablespoons of this mixture is equivalent to 1 store-bought package, and the blogger said she uses about 3 heaping tablespoons per one pound of meat. I did the same, and it turned out wonderful!! And this is also gluten-free, so you don't have to worry about anything being in there that your gluten-intolerant friends and family can't have!! If you click on the above link for her blog, you can also get the recipe for taco seasoning as well. Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving food (and Gluten-Free Options)!

If you have read my blog before, or know me, you know that I love to cook, and I absolutely love this time of year where baking and cooking abound, and Thanksgiving week is especially fun and delicious. I thought I would share what I'm making this year, and perhaps some links to things I have made in the past if you wanted to check those out. I did make the turkey about 3 times in the past, and have fond memories of it, but now that we live near my in-laws, my MIL cooks the turkey in her huge roaster so I don't have to do that part. I do kind of miss it, but I also love making lots of sides, so it's fun!! This year I am making:

Stuffing
I usually make the stuffing, and I usually try different recipes. This year I am excited to try a new recipe that is in the slow cooker, and thought that would be one I wouldn't have to fuss with closer to eating time. So here is the link for that from Allrecipes.com, my go-to for recipes!!
Corn Souffle
I have blogged about this recipe before. It is a super old recipe that is out of our old church cookbook from when I was little, and my grandma has made it for years and years, and is a fond childhood memory. It is so good, that I make 2 so that we have enough for everyone, plus leftovers for dinner! It is that good!!

Cranberry Sauce
I have also blogged about this cranberry sauce. I don't think there are too many who love cranberry sauce, besides my husband and I, at our Thanksgiving, but we love it, and this recipe is oh, so good. I usually only choose recipes from Allrecipes.com that have lots of reviews and really high ratings, and when I found this recipe the other day, it didn't have the most reviews or the highest ratings, but we love it, and I make it every year. So that's good enough for me. The spices in it are amazing.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
This is a recipe I got from my dearest friend in Chicago, Emily, and I have made it several times. I actually don't like cinnamon rolls, but these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, with yeast and pudding mixtures, among other ingredients, are to-die-for!! I am excited to make them, and eat them!! I am making them for the morning, while we are cooking thanksgiving food!! Here is the link. And here also is the link to the recipe on my blog.

Applesauce
I have made this applesauce recipe for years because I just love the combination of cinnamon and cloves in it! My family loves it, and it is nice because it is one thing that can be made well before Thanksgiving. You could even make it a month before, and freeze it!! Also, it's on my blog.
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
While I have never made this casserole before, and this usually wouldn't appear on our Thanksgiving buffet table, I thought it sounded good and I know Maddy loves this kind of thing. I'm using GF creamy mushroom soup (see below) for this so she can have it.

Pecan Pie
Oh, the blessed pecan pie. I never even remember having one until I was an adult. And then realized I didn't know what I was missing. I have really only ever made Pioneer Woman's pecan pie, because it is easy and always turns out great!! I make her Perfect Pie Crusts ahead of time, freeze them, and then use them for my pies. They always turn out great, too!! Here is the link for the pie and the crusts.
Crustless Cranberry Pie
I am hoping that this pie will become a new, easy favorite. It looks delicious on Allrecipes.com and I'm not making it because it is crustless (it isn't GF), I'm making it because I love cranberries, it is easy, it had very high ratings on AR, and it looks like cake!!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
I am not even sure which recipe to be exact I will be using for my standard pumpkin pie. Probably something from AR that has high ratings, lol. The key is just to make a regular 'ole pumpkin pie that Maddy can enjoy, since she loves them!! And with the GF pie crust mix that I am getting from Braum's!!

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving
Since this will be Maddy's first Thanksgiving with her gluten intolerance, I have to be creative and still make it special for her and have her favorite Thanksgiving food! She doesn't like stuffing so I don't have to worry about that. She can already have the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and applesauce. I am also making a broccoli-cheese casserole with gluten-free creamy mushroom soup that I found at a local grocery store! I will be bringing one of her GF rolls that I get from Walmart. For dessert, I am making her favorite, Pumpkin Pie, with some GF pie crusts that I found the mix for at Braum's, which is carrying a whole line of GF products now. I will also probably pick up some GF cinnamon rolls or donuts for her for that morning, since I am making Pumpkin cinnamon rolls for everyone else. And for the gravy, I am going to bring some corn flour to add to the gravy so she can have some thick, GF gravy. So she should be good with all of that food!

Well, I hope you all have a very Merry Thanksgiving, and are looking forward to all of the family-togetherness, food, and gratitude that goes along with it!!

 

 "in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

 

 

Workout Regimen

Well, I thought I would share some of the workout routines that I do, just if anyone was curious as to what I do for my 6 day/week workouts. When I first started working out after I signed up for my weight loss accountability group, I was using the workout dvds that I already had, i.e., Tae Bo, P90X, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and maybe some others. Naptime became my personal time that I loved! I was always a napper, and always felt like I needed a nap daily. But once I realized that naptime was really the best time for me to workout, I came to really enjoy my time to myself and doing something that was fun! I also would throw in the occasional Zumba workout at the Y or just going to the Y to run on the treadmill or do the elliptical. I also love running and would get out there more often to run 3-4 miles on the trail behind our house.
After about 2 months of our weight loss group (originally, it was suppose to be a 60 day program, but we all were enjoying it and benefitting from it so much, we decided to keep it going!), I was so excited to order a Challenge Pack through Beachbody.com, which is the company that our Coach in our group works for. They have products such as Insanity, P90X, Combat, and TurboFire. My birthday was coming up, and for my birthday I wanted to get a Challenge Pack that included Shakeology (an amazing, super healthy chocolate shake with superfoods and vitamins) and a workout series called Combat. It is a Les Mills program who is also the creator of Body Pump if anyone is familiar with that. It was an amazing 60 Day program that really shaped and toned my body. It was pretty hardcore, but the results were worth it. I still love it; it is really fun and the variety kept me wanting to keep doing it, since it comes with 7 different workouts.
 A little bit after that was done, I ordered another Challenge Pack that is called TurboFire and that one hasn't been my favorite, just because it is more "dancy" and fast paced, and I'm used to more hardcore boxing and "manlier" type stuff. I know that sounds weird, because I'm not a tomboy in any way, shape, or form, but I just got used to the other types of workouts with P90X, Tae Bo, and Combat, so that's what I was used to. But it is still a very high intensity workout and leaves you dripping and having burned a lot of calories. And a lot of people really like it.
I have been longing to get out on the trail and run, but it is hard to squeeze that in with the hours that Tad works and now with it getting dark so early and being so busy!!!
As of now, I mix up my daily workouts with the dvds that I have. I will mix them up depending on what kind of workout I want for that day, focusing on cardio, arms, abs, super hard cardio, HIIT, or the days where I just don't have much time but want to get a good workout in. This week I was very sore from a hard workout, so I tried to do some cardio without much strength in it, to rest my muscles. I recently tried a new workout class at the Y called RIPPED which is awesome, and I have been trying to get back to that class. Lots of intervals, strength, endurance, high intensity cardio...right up my alley!! And my friend who teaches it does an awesome job!! So for anyone in Enid, go take RIPPED with Autumn!!
I have taken before and "after" pictures. I wouldn't consider right now my after, just my "mid-point" where I can see huge change in pictures, but I'm definitely not where I want to be. But I have been amazed with the results of the definition in my arms, legs, and even in my stomach (the flab in my stomach, ha ha). I can even see a difference in my face from last year! And I love putting away my "fat clothes" and digging through old clothes that I never thought I would wear again. Love that. So overall, I am quite happy to see the results that working so hard for months has created. But I am disappointed in myself that I haven't had the same kind of discipline with eating as I did at first, which is a huge reason that I lost the weight. Also, I have a friend (Lori, see below for a link) who dropped 60 pounds in 6 months without working out, so I truly believe that eating healthy is like 95% the key to losing weight. But I also love to workout, know it's super good for my body, and love the toning I have gotten from doing it. And maybe I would have lost more weight but the muscle I have gained has prevented me from losing the weight, but I am happy with the muscle! So I will leave you with some links for some different things I have mentioned here if you are interested in anything that has helped me on my weight loss journey! And feel free to comment below if you have used anything that has worked for you regarding weight loss/exercise/getting healthy!!

 

 

Beachbody.com

 

Lori's Blog (the one who lost 60 pounds in 6 months, and she blogs about weight loss every Wednesday)

 

Links to Tae Bo products

 

TurboFire

 

Eatingwell.com (for great healthy, family recipes)

 

Recent Weight Loss

Tad and I after finishing a 4th of July 5k

I have struggled with my weight for years, but especially since having Madelynn 7 years ago. For years, I lived in a state of disappointment with myself for keeping that weight on, and I was quick to complain about how I felt about how I looked, but slow to do anything about it. How much time and energy I wasted just complaining about it when I could have just done something about it! But it is and always has been a battle of the mind. It is always harder to choose those healthy options and to sacrifice than to just reach for the bag of chips and go to town. But I needed something to change.
The huge (God-send) thing I needed to start my change was an online support group through Facebook. I reached out to a friend who had a Facebook page about being healthy and fit. She is a Beachbody consultant and I didn't have the money to get one of their programs but she decided to start a free accountability group as long as we committed to logging our food through My Fitness Pal, working out (15 minute minimum) 5 times a week, and we held each other accountable through our Facebook page and commented on at least one post for that day. Well, let me just tell you that that accountability was just what I needed! I was hesitant and scared that I had just committed to those things, but the results were so worth it. Since April, I have been working out 6 days a week, logging my food (not as regularly, but that is the goal), part of my accountability group, and to date have lost about 15 pounds. I still have about 15 pounds to go, and the process is slow because my eating hasn't always been the best, but it is progress. And it feels so good to accomplish that.
The feel after a workout. Carving out that time to do something good for your body. The amazing toning I am starting to see all over my body that is paying off visibly! Having to find new, smaller clothes that I haven't fit into for years, and putting away the big clothes. Something I didn't think would happen. The support of our group; and this group of ladies has become like family. They are believers in a big God and we encourage each other and it has become about way more than even our weight loss. We have become a group that can share anything that is going on in our lives and we can have instant prayer warriors at our fingertips! It is truly of God!

This past summer, I also had a chance to read "Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food" by Lysa Terkeurst. I had never heard of her before, but apparently she has written other great books and has a radio ministry. Her book was really good! I had never read a book about food before, especially one having to do with God. It really made me think, and I had the privilege of finishing it on our family vacation and passing it on to my aunt! I love passing on books that I have read and love to other people! Here are some quotes from the book:

"It is good for God's people to be put in a place of slight desperation. Only then can we be empty enough and open enough to discover the holiness we were made for."

"When we are stuffed...we don't recognize the deeper spiritual battle going on."

"Satan wants to keep us distracted by chasing one temporary filling after another. God wants us to step back and let the emptying process have its way until we start desiring a holier approach to life."

"The gap between our frail discipline and God's available strength is bridged with nothing but a simple choice on our part to pursue this holiness."

"Moment by moment we have the choice to live in our own strength and risk failure or to reach across the gap and grab hold of God's unwavering strength."

"When we're defeated and stuck in issues of the flesh, it's really hard to fully and passionately follow hard after God."

"I can make the choice to identify my shortcomings and, instead of using them against myself, hand them over to Jesus and let Him chisel my rough places. The grace-filled way Jesus chisels is so vastly different than the way I beat on myself. My beatings are full of exaggerated lies that defeat. His chiseling is full of truth that sets me free."

Sorry there were so many! They are just all so good, and I didn't want to leave any out!!

I am not saying that it isn't a battle. Or it isn't hard. I have to choose daily which path I will take - one of discipline or one of mindlessly eating without tracking calories or caring how much I eat. And if I was more disciplined, it would have been more than 15 pounds by now. But without my accountability group, I think I would have given up several times by now. But they keep me going. They remind me to keep going, that we can be disciplined. That it is worth the fight. That we can see results, and make better choices, and focus on Wellness instead of Dieting. It is a lifestyle choice that needs to continue, not a few months of agony to lose the weight and then go back to how I used to eat. And I love to eat! And bake! And pig out! And I still eat bad or binge or have bad moments, but I hope to have more good moments than bad, and to know when to stop.
So it is a constant battle. But having people behind you is a huge encouragement, and I am still in the fight!! Maybe in the future I will share a blog post about what kinds of workouts I do and how I got great results! Here's to a healthier holiday season!!

Retreat

I just got back from a Women's Retreat our church had this past weekend. I am so fortunate that Tad really pushed me to go; not that I didn't want to go, but the thought of spending the money and finding someone to watch the kids is a little stressful. But he really thought I should go, and his sister came from out of town to watch the kids while Tad was at work. The Lord has been doing such amazing things in my life. Which is so comforting because it reminds me that He hasn't given up on me, despite all my faults. Things have been tough lately, I'm not gonna lie, but God has a way of reminding us of Himself, reminding us that it's not all about us, and directing us back to Him.
The retreat was such a time of refreshment, relaxation, a time to get away from the normal distractions of 3 little ones that always need my attention, and a house and a slew of other things that need my attention, and to just breath. And think. And pray. And to be with other like-minded Christian women to laugh with and talk about spiritual things with. It's not like retreat can happen all the time, but when the Lord blesses us with it, we can appreciate it all the more.
The theme of the retreat was "You are His Treasure" and the messages were powerful. The speaker was this amazing missionary who spends most of the year living in Sudan, where there is no electricity or running water. Her messages were vibrant with her passion for the Lord spilling over. I wanted to catch her passion! She talked about so many amazing things. She said that we are so resistant to change that we settle for less, and we are getting jipped. She said the more broken we are, the more eligible we are for service, and the more love can leak out. I was pretty broken on retreat, and I think that I needed to hear that so that I didn't go away thinking I was a failure, or ineligible. That is what Satan wants us to think. But when we feel like we are nothing, when we have nothing left to give, when we feel like we couldn't possibly do anything for Jesus, that's when we are in the perfect place for Him to use us because it needs to be Him working His amazing power in us. When we are prideful, and feel like "we got this" and that we have "arrived" in our spiritual walks, then we have all kinds of walls built up around us, and it is hard for God to use that. I have to keep remembering this. How often do we think that we have to just try harder, do better, memorize some more Scripture, get up a little earlier, attend one more church service, and then God will be more pleased with me? That's the way the world works, so that's how our mind assumes that God works. But God is bigger. He is bigger than our stuff, and our best efforts. And He is here to radically change our lives. Now!! Not just in heaven, not just for eternity, but He is offering us new life, that we would be a new creation, and I am begging you all to take hold of what He has for you! Even if you are already a believer, He has more for you! More of His power, more of His Spirit, more opportunities, and each day is a new day of grace, opportunities, forgiveness, growth, evangelism, and surrender. We must surrender our all to Him, so He can work with all of us. Don't hold anything back. And you will not be disappointed.
She also talked about our sword, the Word of God, and knowing it well. And how the stronger the Spirit gets, the weaker our flesh gets. And one big thing that stuck in my mind is that, "our life's hurts are temporal-they will pass away." Such perspective. What are we going through right now that is menial compared to the greatness of our God and the things that matter for eternity? And how many of those things are we letting into our hearts to sabotage the work of the Lord? Are we quenching the Spirit in our lives by roots of bitterness? She also said, "The more I realize that I am the Lord's treasure, the more He will become my treasure." It reminds me of 1 John 4:19 which says, "We love because he first loved us."
The speaker also said, "we don't have to be able, we just have to be willing." Are we really able to do anything without the Lord? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3
"Each time we die to ourselves, a little bit of us dies and a little more of Jesus takes over." Humility. Such a tough thing for us prideful human beings who always want to be right, have the last word, not let anyone speak out against us. We can be ruthless. But what does God want us to do? What did Jesus model for us? To be servants. To be humble. To not return evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good. To love our enemies. To do good to those who hurt us. Easier said than done, but when we let go of ourselves, and let God work in and through us, we will start to see more of Him, and less of us.
So, really, I could go on and on, but those were just some of the highlights from retreat. And if you are a momma who just can't get away on a retreat, then see if you can go on a mini-retreat! One blogger goes on a prayer/planning retreat every week! On Sundays, she gets away for a couple of hours while her husband keeps the kids, and she gets her week planned out and spends time alone with God, getting refreshed and renewed. I think we need to be recharged and rest every once in awhile so we can be the best mommies we can be to our kids. We need that daily time with God, our daily bread, but we also need some extended time every now and then, however we can get it, to rest and reflect, and to really hear what God would have for us at that time. I hope all of you are encouraged and excited about what God has for your life. Don't get stagnant! Ask for God to fill you to overflowing with love, passion, surrender, willingness, and humility! Don't waste your life on anything less than Him!!